5 Ways Successful People Use Lists of Thoughts, Tasks, and Ideas

One thing that almost all successful people do is keep their thoughts, tasks, and ideas organized. This increases productivity, decreases distractions, and enables them to keep focused on both the present and the future. It’s really quite simple and with a little practice, it is a habit that will pay off in the long run. Here are some of the ways successful people use lists:

Setting GoalsThroughout the day, most people think of things they want to accomplish. Accomplishments can be something small, like wanting to read a particular book or something large, like learning a new language. By writing down all of their goals, they not only get better clarity about what they want to accomplish, they can use the list to prioritize what they want to do first. Writing it down gives them an overall view of the direction they want to take. It also keeps them focused and accountable, once they decide the goals they want to pursue.

Creating a To Do ListOne habit that almost all successful people do is to create a daily to-do list. Often, they write their to-do list and the end of every day and read it first thing when they start the next day. They update the list as they think of things throughout the day. The more disciplined they are about the to-do list, the more they get done. The most effective to-do lists are not always work related. Often, everything which needs to be done is kept on one list. Items are crossed off the list as they are accomplished. Not only do they accomplish more when they have a to-do list, but they feel a great sense of accomplishment by crossing off finished tasks. A sense of accomplishment motivates people to accomplish more.

Remembering IdeasMost people have new ideas throughout the day. Instead of letting an idea come and go, successful people tend to pursue ideas more frequently. Here’s why. Anyone can be in the middle of one thing and get an idea about doing something else. In order to remember the idea as well as not get distracted from their task, successful people write down their ideas. When they get a moment, they review their list and make them into goals or tasks. It’s the extra step of writing and reviewing the list, and then making them into goals which leads to further success.

Clearing Thoughts and Sleeping BetterSometimes when people are trying to fall asleep their mind starts racing. It can be about anything. What many successful people do is to write down the thought which is preventing them from falling asleep. By keeping a small note pad by their bed and writing down their thought(s), they fall asleep knowing they won’t forget whatever was keeping them awake. When they review their to-do list in the morning, they review these thoughts as well and then add them to their to-do list or goals.

Making a decisionSome decisions are more difficult to make than others. Successful people write down the pros and cons of a decision, which will often make the direction to take much clearer. Some decisions require them to further evaluate the risks involved. For more about making decisions and evaluating risks, read http://choose2bhappy.net/success/how-to-evaluate-risks-for-greater-success/.

These are some of the more common habits of keeping lists that help drive success. What benefits have you found from writing things down? Please share in the comments box, below.

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